Karl Groos' MERE MAN AT PLAY - a rehash of the Rehash.

http://thedailyplayset.blogspot.com/2012/03/mere-man-at-play-annotated-with.html
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Philiology recapitulates Playleontology
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MARCH Times On!

Julius Caesar's bloody assassination on March 15, 44 B.C., forever marks March 15, or the Ides of March, as a day of infamy. It has fascinated toy soldier guys ever since.

(For ancient Romans living before that event, however, an ides was merely one of several common calendar terms used to mark monthly lunar events. The ides simply marked the appearance of the full moon.)

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Far cooler for us the playseteers is the notion of a JULIUS CAESAR PLAYSET.

We begin, of course, by heading over for inspiration to our very favorite playset blog,

http://marxplaysets.blogspot.com/

 as we want our set in 1/32 approximate scale with Louis Marx' masterpiece for Christmas, 1959:

See the FLICKR pages:

'http://www.flickr.com/photos/22283683@N07/7641285304/

We find a Greek guy in a toga with a knife:

We cop the reissue Romans from Kent:

'Copies of famous Roman Generals in any scale? We find him!

Undaunted, we find marvelous Temple PILLARS for our Roman Senate to complement the plastic MARX stuff:

HIRSTARTS TEMPLE KIT: Very Cool!

http://www.hirstarts.com/temple/temple.html

We supplement it with ATLANTIC Romans, courtesy of ToySoldierHQ and Kent Sprecher:

Are we there yet?

Got to get the DVD with Mason, Brando et al!!

Now! All you Little Caesars of fun:

BEWARE THE PLAYSET OF MARCH!

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pylgrym

The Daily PLA(ys)ET!

Sure wish I could blog over at my toy blog today, but will just have to cut, paste, and post later.
MEANwhile, there IS a cool article just begging for a playseteer to upgrade, so here goes:

MASH of "Fresh Insights Where Decay Meets Architecture", Jan. 5, 29013 by Saul Austerlitz, from the NEW YORK TIMED-OUT

FOR the determined and innovatively creative Playseteer,  there are two potential responses to the presence of ruined stuff in an old PLAYSET. The first is the default Romantic expression of bittersweet wonder:
"I found it thuis way and I will keep my childhood memory  this way until I take it to my grave, and we moulder together forever!
http://www.bartleby.com/104/5.html

 The second, and more intriguing, is to ask: “What can I do here? What does this suggest to me that I am able to re-build?” Take heart and view the new film about Mr. Souto de Moura, subject of “Reconversão,”  by the Los Angeles filmmaker Thom Andersen, who could be the architect’s cinematic doppelgänger.

Then, look for a fellow collector who could be YOUR doppelganger!

http://collectibles.about.com/library/glossary/blclubsindexT.htm
How do we play? Just at the shows when we decorate our rooms for trading
http://www.treefrogtreasures.com/forum/showthread.php?39439-OTSN-2012-William-Hocker-Proprietor
...?
Or do we only play with our playsets when we set them up to sell:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VTG-MARX-WESTGATE-24-HOUR-SERVICE-STATION-TIN-GAS-GARAGE-TOY-PLAYSET-CARS-PARTS-/130837259407?_trksid=p2047675.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D11%26meid%3D5106889924798110900%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D1005%26rk%3D4%26sd%3D221141739617%26
Forthwith, and to arms! The old, rotten stuff needs a MAKEOVER!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1950s-MARX-FORT-APACHE-STOCKADE-Play-Set-3609-with-Original-Box-No-Reserve-/160951732774?pt=Vintage_Antique_Toys_US&hash=item2579788a26

First, haul out the box and dump out the  stuff:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Fort-Apache-Playset-Fort-With-Gate-Walls-Tin-Litho-Building-Figures-/190774303363?pt=Vintage_Antique_Toys_US&hash=item2c6b08da83
SORT out the inappropriate junk; i.e. the palm trees DO NOT go out west to the cavalry fort!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Fort-Apache-Set-With-Extras-Not-Complete-By-Marx-Mpc-Lots-Of-Pieces-/261158003762?pt=Vintage_Antique_Toys_US&hash=item3cce3ae432
Zorro Mexicands do not fight British and German mercs at Trenton!

Get everything sorted? Now arrange in ranks:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/2-SETS-LOT-VTG-MARX-FORT-APACHE-WESTERN-250-PCS-FIGURES-ACCESSORIES-MANY-EXTRAS-/221180770848?pt=Vintage_Antique_Toys_US&hash=item337f66ba20


Next, recycle old and new and stuff it in a fresh box!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Marx-RIN-TIN-TIN-Play-Set-Box-Rusty-at-Fort-Apache-/120748902787?pt=Vintage_Antique_Toys_US&hash=item1c1d320983
Pick out the stuff you want your KIDS to play with:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-IN-BOX-THE-FAMOUS-FORT-APACHE-PLAYSET-OVER-190-PIECES-/181058769943?pt=Vintage_Antique_Toys_US&hash=item2a27f19417

You will be delighted at how FRESH the whole playsetting experience becomes. Happy New Year!
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pylgrym
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It's been a LOOOooong weekend without my darling, but I have managed to stay out of TOO much trouble...

ON EBAY: A "MELD" playset from dp prods, Palm bay, FL . ... RENWAL cargo ship NOT CRACKED (so she'll float until grabbed from below!)  is a bit broken - see sharp edges - making bathtime more interesting. Rolls (with a slight list to starboard, Captain!) AND floats!  The monster 'pus is pinkish, hollow vinyl and came from Beneath a China sea . . . . painted details. nice shape.FLOATS. NOT a squeaker or squirter. An atomic submarine cruising the Pacific discovers a gargantuan octopus concealed in the ocean depths. By the time they figure out that the monster is the nasty by-product of a hydrogen bomb experiment gone awry, the creature is already well on its way to destroying San Francisco. The sea creature is yet another fantastic example of masterful stop-motion animation from the technique's master, Ray Harryhausen. Scenarios with your cereal premium baking powdered NAUTILUS (not included) are an extinct possibility. You KNOW the sad ending to this Ray Harryhausen classic: SEE SALE :IT CAME FROM BENEATH THE SEA (1955) Vintage original 11 x 14” (28 x 35 cm.) lobby card, USA. Kenneth Tobey, Faith Domergue, Donald Curtis, Ian Keith, dir: Robert Gordon; Columbia. As was so prevalent during the 1950s, creatures of various types were always being affected by radiation. This time it is an octopus, which becomes gigantic by feeding off that which has been hurt by H-bomb testing. Rising from the sea, it terrorizes the California coast. The special effects, including the octopus, were the work of genius Ray Harryhausen. With a miniscule budget (the octopus could only afford 6 tentacles instead of 8), he presented some very impressive effects, including the octopus climb on the Golden Gate Bridge. Harryhausen has signed boldly at a later date. Born in 1920, he was so impressed by KING KONG when it was released in 1933 that he made it is his life’s ambition to figure out “how they did it.” He figured it out over a 60 year career and was presented with an honorary Academy Award. - EBay seller walterfilmusa (THANKS for the image from your 'signed lobby card' sale!) You supply your miniature Golden Gate Bridge, etc. too.  Cut and paste this in your EBay search box: Metal Marvel 3D Laser Cut San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge Model Unique Hobby Hours of fun! Posted initially with eBay Mobile Embellished in the comfort of my home, where SANDY is no more ...

Beautiful Martian Retirement Bennies!

Well, maybe there will in fact be more activity 

in RETIREMENT
but there is no way there will be ... more time.
It's A Beautiful Day!
A bit of song for the blogger and reader...
Images to view during the course of the song:
Time Space Curiosity Continuum
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and a fond look backwards to the days of my Martian Youth :
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No, Mars aint heaven, but boy! did I think it was in 1957!
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pEEgEE

TARHEEL INDUSTRIES: The MYSTERY DEEPENS

UP FOR AUCTION IS A NICE WIND UP TOY ROBOT STANDS 6" TALL ARM TO ARM IS 4" WIDE IT WINDS UP BUT DOESNT ROLL NO DAMAGE OR CRACKS RARE ROBOT BUYER PAYS SHIPPING Check out my other items! Be sure to add me to your favorites list!

NEWZFLASH!

Ron Barzso has announced that after the release of Lexington Green Playset this September, He plans on The Siege of Yorktown Playset the following year. He also stated he is working with the Jim Clouse on a Concord Bridge as well. His British figures are a dark crimson red, while the Colonial Militia are in a light Marx blue and a medium tan. Both sets come in 8 different poses . Character figures and Lexington Town buildings are going to be added to the final playset. The figures were a perfect compatibility with Accurate Revolutionary War figures, and were displayed next to them.
Jim Clouse has started to upload pictures of the poses to the site.
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THANKS to PJR and the whole gang at YAHOOGROUP: MARX_PLAYSETS for the tip!